A Theory of War and Seeking Martyrdom as the Major Means of Imam al-Husain’s Uprising: An Appraisal of Confirming Historical Evidence

In the present study, by employing Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE), attempts are made to formulate and defend a theory that can explain rationally and justifiably the uprising of Imam al-Husain (AS). The suggested theory is formulated as follows: from the beginning of his movement, Imam Husain (AS) chose to participate in war and seek martyrdom consciously and voluntarily, not as his aim, but as major means to his ends and used other means such as trying for government formation, negotiation with his enemies, and peacekeeping as the minor means to facilitate the major ones. In this study, we try to illustrate that the suggested theory, in comparison to its rivals, can explain some historical events rationally. Such events include Imam Husain’s move to Kufa despite facing significant disagreement and backlash from many people, his uprise against Yazīd’s government but not Muʿāwiya’s, his effort to maintain his move to Kufa despite having no chance to form a government, along with his move toward Kufa despite knowing that the vast majority of people in Kufa are unfaithful and will renege on their promise to fight against Bani Umayyah. The conclusion of the study is that belief in the truth of the suggested theory is rational and justified.